


Lean On Me

by SJ_Sixx



Series: Chronic Illness Readers [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, F/M, He likes being called 'Cap', Leg Braces, Reader is a little chubby, Steve is a bit kinky near the end, Stevie don't care that we ill, Tanya is a little slutty, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wheelchair's are cool, steve is a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 04:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11349786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJ_Sixx/pseuds/SJ_Sixx
Summary: Having a chronic illness means that parties are often a no-go. They're loud, nine times out of ten not very accessible, and often you're stuck in a corner or by the bar. However, when your mates Tanya and Holly manage to get tickets, you decided maybe one party couldn't hurt. And boy, are you glad you went.





	Lean On Me

“Tony Stark?”

I looked confused at the invite my friends had given me, before looking back at them.

“Yeah! Stark is holding a massive party, and we managed to snag tickets!” Holly chirped.

“How, did Tanya get her tits out?” I smirked.

“Wounded!... maybe….” smiled Tanya, “a low cut shirt goes a long way sometimes.”

I laughed, before looking back at the invite, a small pit souring in my stomach.

“I’m not sure guys, it’s gonna be full of beanpoles that are gorgeous and I…”

“Nope, we’re not having any of that! You are coming, even if we have to drag you in the wheelchair!” interrupted Holly.

“I’d rather leave the chair at home, just go with the crutches.” I said.

“Either way, you’re coming,” smiled Tanya, “I don’t go round wearing low cut shirts for nothing.”

 

“Never put Stark down as a fan of Backstreet Boys,” I laughed from my bar stool, cradling my drink as the two girls danced to ‘ _Larger Than Life_ ’, hips swaying as men ogled them.

“Come on, come dance!” Tanya beckoned.

“You are dancing!” Holly came over, taking one hand, as Tanya took my other, the two supporting me as we danced, both ignoring the lads for me.

“Shake dem hips, gurl, out of us all, you got the best ass!” Tanya laughed.

Shaking my head, I gave them a shimmy, slowly becoming immersed in the cheesy 00’s pop.

As the song slowly faded into ‘ _A Thousand Miles_ ’, a figure tapped on Tanya’s shoulder.

“Come on, I sorted you out with tickets, you gotta sort me out with a dance,” smirked Stark.

“Chill, let me help my friend back to her seat,” Tanya grinned as her and Holly helped me back on my stool.

Both merged into the crowd, and I smiled softly at the two.

It was then I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I looked round.

“M’am. I hope you’re well.”

Steve Rodgers smiled at me, and I nodded back.

“I am indeed, how about you?” I replied.

“Very well. I was wondering, would you like to, have a dance?” he asked.

“Oh. I’d love to, but my legs, they’re not, I need… I normally need crutches or help to stand and dance, and I'm a bit heavy...” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

“That’s ok. I’ll help.”

He placed his hands on my waist, lifting me up with ease and onto the floor, where he took my hands in his own, as the song slowed a bit.

With some confidence that I had no idea I had, I placed my arms round his neck, and he placed his own round me, pulling me close, enough to support me and help, but not so much that I was uncomfortably pressed up.

“So, what’s wrong?” he asked as ‘Just The Way You Are’ came on.

“I have Chronic Pain and Chronic Fatigue. Had them for a few months now. This is the first time I’ve come out since the diagnosis. I need crutches or a wheelchair to avoid my legs being so worm out that I can’t walk for a few days after.” I shrugged.

“And they’re both incurable?” he asked delicately.

“Pretty much. Scuppers any dating chances,” I laughed lightly.

“I don’t know, you could call this a date?”

I looked to the Super Solider, eyes wide.

“R-R-Really? I would have thought you’d be after some supermodel, I mean, enough girls probably fancy the pants off you…” I said.

He gave a laugh this time.

“I was never into the supermodel types. It was all the rage in the 30’s, but we’re now in 2017. I always preferred the softer girls, with the bright eyes and the infectious laugh.” He smiled.

“But, don’t you want someone who… well… works? For want of a better phrase.”

“I couldn’t care. You’re beautiful regardless of your conditions. Just the way you are.”

“Smooth, Rodgers.”

“That’s Captain to you,” he whispered.

I giggled, “Sorry, Cap.”

  

**~* Hey look, another time skip *~**

 

“You got tickets?!” Holly gaped.

I giggled, “yep. Girl has her ways.”

“Did your Captain get you them?” smirked Tanya.

“How’d ya guess?” I laughed.

It was then there was a knocking at the door. Wheeling over, I opened it and laughed.

“I’m not even gonna ask how you got my address.”

“Your mate Tanya gave me it,” Stark said idly, “anyway, I heard about you and Stars and Stripes, and Tanya told me about your conditions. So, I figured, had a couple of hundred sitting there doing nothing, I could help ya out. Y’know, so you can enjoy a party without needing to lean on him.”

He pulled the briefcase in as he strolled in, me shutting the door after and following him to the sofa where he had sat down.

He pulled a case out, and placed it on the table, before opening it.

“Oh, my, god.”

“Nope, Tony will do fine,” the billionaire smiled as I looked over the leg braces, metal of blue, white and red, tears coming to my eyes, “try them on.”

I lifted them out, before slipping them on my leg, noting them to be a bit big.

“Here,” Tony handed I a small remote, and I pressed the button.

They whirred into life and tightening perfectly around my legs.

“Give them a try.”

With Tanya and Holly holding on as I stood in case, I got up, and as they let go, the tears fell down my face.

“I’m standing, unaided,” I choked out, “and the pain hasn’t increased or anything.”

I tentatively took a few steps, before looking at Tanya and Holly, who were in shock.

“I can walk! Without my crutches!” I almost screamed, crying with joy, “I’d forgotten what this was like.”

“Come on, let’s get you ready for Star Spangled.” Tony smiled.

 

“Hey,”

Steve turned as I rested a hand on his back, and smiled, before confusion flittered across his face.

“Hey, you’re walking….” He started, before he noted the braces, “Tony?”

“Correct. I can dance properly with you, you don’t have to support all of me – your arms must hurt after.” I smiled.

“That’s amazing, but, I kinda liked you leaning into me,” Steve said softly, as I rested my arms round his neck again, “and trust me, they don’t. I could never get tired of holding you.”

I laughed as he placed his hands round my waist, “I can still lean if you want. But it means when faster songs come on, I can keep up.”

He chuckled as we began to dance, “I guess.”

“It also means, as your hands don’t have to hold me all the time, they can wander elsewhere.”

“Oh?” The solider raised an eyebrow at this point, his hands travelling down to cup my butt, “like this you mean?” 

“That’s exactly what I meant, Cap.”

He gave a small growl, pulling my hips into his own, smirking like a cat whom had caught the canary, “keep calling me that, and your conditions wont be the only reason you’ll need your wheelchair.”


End file.
